Cookbooks To Savor

Nigella Lawson: FeastWhat cooking, especially for family and loved-ones is all about.

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee: Eating KoreanI would place this cookbook in my top 10 of all time. The recipes are delicious and each section is packed with the best of Korean home cooking. The stories are wonderful, too. Highly recommend.

Irma S. Rombauer: The Joy of Cooking (not the "All New", the old school one) I don't so much like this for main dish and salad recipes as for baked goods, sauces, and jams. I have my mother's copy, and when I was about 12, my favorite thing to do was to make tea sandwiches from this cookbook. Every weekend I'd make a couple of different kinds until I worked my way through all the spreads and fillings. A good basic cookbook.

Lemon Bread for Valentine's Day

This is an adaptation of a recipe that's been floating around my circle of pals for a while now. It's one of the easiest things you'll ever bake. (I tell you this because I really don't like baking and I love to make this.)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a
small bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter/oil, and lemon peel until blended.
Mix liquids into flour mixture until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake in a 350º oven
until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (40-50
minutes). Meanwhile, prepare Lemon Glaze. Leaving loaf in pan, use a
long skewer to poke numerous holes (15-20) all the way to the bottom of
the loaf. Slowly drizzle hot glaze over the top. Don't worry if it
seems like a lot of glaze, the bread will absorb it, I promise.

Let bread cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then run a knife
carefully around the loaf and turn it out onto a rack to cool. Wrap in
plastic wrap if you want to store. Serve at room temperature,
preferably the next day.

Rum-Lemon Glaze

juice of 2 medium Meyer Lemons (approx. 4 tbsps)

a splash of dark rum (or cognac would work, too)

a good handful of confectioner's sugar (1/2-1/3 cup)

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and keep warm. (You can omit booze if you like.)

Cooking Gear To Spice Things Up

All-Clad cookwareI use the stainless line. I love it because you can put it in the dishwasher. If you like to cook it is sooo worth it to have quality pots and pans. I recommend buying a set on sale and then filling in extras as you need them. (Watch for sales and specials.)

Cast Iron SkilletPlease get rid of all your teflon-coated non-stick plans and get a cast iron skillet. I use mine for searing meat, poultry, and fish and then finishing off in the oven. In fact, get two cast iron skillets—one large enough to hold two ribeyes and a smaller, fried-egg-sized one for making...well...eggs.

Food ProcessorQuickly slice/shred veggies and cheese, make hummus or other spreads in a snap, and make pie crust without making a mess.

Global KnivesI am partial to the 18 incher. Yep, I like big knives and I cannot lie. If you like to cook (or even if you don't) you deserve to have good knives. At least one.

Instant Hot Water DispenserIf you can't afford to have one built-in, this is a great alternative. It's nice to have boiling water at the push of a button to make tea, instant miso soup, or morning oatmeal for the kidlets.

Microplane Grater/ZesterUse this to grate citrus zest, nutmeg, and cheese. You could get a coarser one, but you don't need to. I have one and I use it for everything.

SilpatSilpat is a silicone mat used for baking. They come in various sizes. Items will not stick to it. It is a must for any home baker.

Stick or Immersion BlenderIt doesn't have to be fancy, but try and get the highest HP you can afford. I use my stick blender (+ attachments) for making salad dressing (weekly), pureeing soups, making babyfood, and whipping cream.